Hungree (@iam.hungree) joined our pack, Sept 2023.
Picking the right dog
This was a decision took over a year and whether it was fair to Vinnie, our senior dog. Other factors like breed and temperament suitability to our work needs and lifestyle also played a part. Did we flip and flop around the different breeds? We most certainly did!
Speaking to the different breeders was important to us. It helped us narrow down a suitable dog with the right temperament and gave us the assurance that the breeder had taken great care in the breed's conformation, whilst prioritising the health of the breeding dogs.
We did not pick our puppy! We explained what our lifestyle was like, along with the type of dog that we were looking out for (calm was repeated many times!). And the rest, we left in the breeder's good judgement. As they are able to watch and monitor the pups from the start, they are in a better position to make a better judgement call on the overall personalities between all the puppies.
The first night was definitely as expected, with Gree waking us up at 6am for the first few days - until we figured out that the poor girl was just...hungry! Once we started feeding her supper, she was able to sleep right through the night.
Figuring out what would make it easier for your dog to settle in the crate is vital. The crate should be a place where your puppy can rest and settle down. It also allows you to keep your dog safe, if you had to run out to work on some errands.
The breeder had done some initial desensitization work with all the puppies.
But being in a smaller town is very different from bustling Singapore.
We continue to slowly expose her to the different things and environments that she would need to be comfortable with whilst she grows up in a busy city.
We ensure that we don't overwhelm her and if she starts to display some form of discomfort, we remove ourselves from the environment or give her some distance to the object or trigger that may be making her uncomfortable.
It has been a few weeks now, whilst we work on settling her into a routine, exposing her and planning out how we want to build our bond with her. Most importantly, we want her to just enjoy puppy life and being a dog!
If you were looking for the ONE TIP that would be useful in settling in your pup - think about keeping things as routine as possible. Puppies, just like babies - need a routine at the start to get them settled into a new home.
As exciting as it is to have a new addition to your home, think about letting the puppy rest and have some "me" time to yourself too. You will not be doting on your pup 24/7 for the rest of it's life - so let's not set up unrealistic expectations. Harsh truth - but life does go on, and not all of our activities are dog friendly. So, it's good to teach your pup that it can be independent too.
We look forward to sharing more of her adventures with you, along with the many dog friendly cafes that we intend to bring both Vinnie and her to. Keep an eye out for more blog posts on our growth journey with Vinnie & Gree.
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